AFP - Welsh singer Charlotte Church has agreed an out of court settlement with Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers over claims the News of the World publication hacked her phone, lawyers confirmed on Thursday.

The 25-year-old accepted the undisclosed offer days before the case was due to reach trial.

Judge Geoffrey Vos was to hear the claims on Monday but is now expected to announce the disposal of all five cases still outstanding of the 60 launched before October last year.

Elle Macpherson's former adviser, Mary Ellen Field, footballer Ryan Giggs and former royal butler Paul Burrell are among those to have settled before trial.

Earlier this month, comedian Steve Coogan accepted £40,000 ($63,000, 48,000 euros) while Ex-England football star Paul Gascoigne received £68,000.

However, Vos has been told that a second wave of 56 new claims was imminent with singer James Blunt and footballers Kieron Dyer and Peter Crouch set to sue the media group.

Cherie Blair, the wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, on Wednesday launched legal action over hacking, her lawyer said, reportedly against Murdoch's media empire.

Graham Atkins, of Atkins Thomson, said: "I can confirm that we have issued a claim on behalf of Cherie Blair in relation to the unlawful interception of her voicemails.

"I will not be commenting any further at this time."

Murdoch shut down the News of the World in July last year as a scandal over the illegal interception of mobile phone voicemails spiralled out of control.

His empire has in recent months agreed to make huge payouts worth tens of millions of pounds to dozens of hacking victims including British actor Jude Law and footballer Ashley Cole.